After reading about the many traditions of communication, there were two traditions that I thought I could give some good feedback about. The first was the Socio-Cultural tradition. When I read about it, my mind went off thinking about how interesting it is that there are so many different ways to say one thing. One thing in our language can mean nothing or something totally different in another language. This puts a big barrier in communication with other languages. I wonder, why can't we all just speak one universal language? I know diversity is great, but if there could be a way we could all have a universal language, I think that would be totally awesome (and we could still speak our native language to feel special).
Another tradition that caught my interest was the Phenomenological tradition. I liked the ideas of congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding. I agree with this way of communication and think that it is a good trait and value to hold. It really helps when you can take a step back and think what your part is in a situation. To see and look at where the other person is coming from, instead of judging what they just said, I think, is a great way of communicating. I use this way of communicating in everyday life. I try not to judge, nor be someone who I am not. If everyone did that, and gave the effort to understand someone else, I think life would be a lot easier. =)
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Based on the incredible true story that inspired Moby Dick
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5 years ago
5 comments:
Hello!
I agree with you, the concept of socio-cultural tradition is very interesting. You noted in your blog post about how one thing in a language can mean something totally different in another language. I remember learning in one of my marketing clasess that one of the car companies had a type of car and when produced and marketing in another country, it meant something totally different and people were offended, so they had to not only change the slogan, but the name of the car as well.
I remember my professor saying that it was Ford who had some major issues. The Fiera truck meant "ugly woman" (or something similar) in Spanish. Additionally, GM couldn't sell the Chevy Nova in South American countries because the word NOVA in Spanish means "it doesn't go."
It would be much easier if we could all speak the same language worldwide but then also have our own regional dialects. However, I do think that having our own regional dialects would be important because it would contribute to culture...I'm of an ethnic minority and I enjoy having something different that I can do (speak another language).
I've taken a few classes on Semiotics and it is a very broad subject. Not only does Semiotics cover communication studies, it also spans subjects like media studies, mathematics, and especially cultural studies.
If you are really interested in the Socio-Cultural tradition, I think you may be very intrigued by the Intercultural Communications if you have not taken the course already. I've taken it previously at a different school and it's so enlightening to learn the differences in cultures and how it affects communication. Although it would be more "convienent" if we all spoke a universal language, we wouldn't be as diverse and the "melting pot" that we are if we did. :)
Greetings! Wonderful insights! Like you, I found socio-cultural tradition and the phenomenological tradition quite useful. Your concept of one global language is appealing in many respects. I think such a language is already here; it is English. Although English is only the third most spoken first language in the world after Mandarin and Spanish, English is the most widely spoken second language, with estimates of up to almost two billion speakers. With satellite TV and the internet, the trend is obviously for more. Being foreign born and foreign raised as well as having lived and traveled in various countries, when I first arrived to the US at JFK airport, I proudly kept asking for a “trolley” for my luggage, but did not get any. Realizing that a trolley is called a cart in the US, I thought all I needed to do is learn more vocabulary, including the American version of certain words. But then I discovered that language was only one barrier for me. As some of the theories point out, language will affect or even define culture and self-image. I have found that my identity has changed, I think, partly due to the English language. More of the world is becoming Americanized partly because of the English language. It would be quite interesting to conduct research on the impact of English on the identity of foreign born and raised Americans as well as foreigners living in their own country who speak English as a second language. On the other hand, English as a global language also has disadvantages for Americans; for example, the rest of the world would understand Americans well, yet the reverse would not be true.
I loved your comment “Yet by reading this story, I definitely gained more awareness to how stereotypes can affect you unconsciously even if you never consciously stereotype.”
This is in response to not only your blog, but Molly's comment. It's really interesting and a lot of times funny how something in one language can mean something entirely different in another. My mother immigrated from Burma (present-day Myanmar) and speaks Burmese. A couple weeks after she first came to the U.S., a co-worker asked her if she'd like to go out for seafood. She didn't know whether to laugh or to be really offended--the word "seafood" sounds similar to the Burmese word meaning butt. True story!
This can also extend further than language--hand gestures, common rituals. I can't wait to take an intercultural communication class!
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